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Nothing is that Simple

Do you agree with that? I’m not sure. I mean, I take care of my body. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink very much, even the food I consume is 99% healthy, I exercise. I do it because it makes me feel good, mostly. But also for longevity, to avoid illness and disease. Is it our responsibility or our fortune that we have the means to do so?

This whole breastfeeding thing with the supermodel? (You know who I mean.) She’s pushing it. And people are pushing back. Because who’s she to advocate a natural home birth and breastfeeding? How dare she? Right?

We create these battles against each other: the beautiful against the ugly, the breast against the bottle, fat against thin, god against the unbelievers. And I never, ever say which side I’m on, except in a whisper to those I know the best. Do you know why? Because I don’t want to make anyone feel bad.

I’ll say it today, I suppose, that I side with breast feeding and I side with fitness and I side with God. But I’ll also say that I don’t believe that those are necessarily the right choices for anyone else. I’ll never push it on anyone.

The way I interpret the spirituality of my life and the way I decide to use the gift that is my body (and yes, breastfeeding my children was a gift) works for me. And maybe it would work for you. But maybe not.

Is advocating breastfeeding any more controversial than advocating fitness? Is advocating either of these subjects cause for a backlash against you by those who make different choices?

(I think the model made some silly comment about required breastfeeding for six months? And to me that’s about as ignorant as saying all fat people are lazy or stupid.)

I would never try to make someone feel bad about their choices in life, and I try my damnedest not to judge others. But the fact remains that breast milk is good for babies! Exercising is good for your body.

There’s been so much negativity against the fitness movement on some well read blogs. But why? I maintain that it comes from the insecurity of people who feel attacked by the outspoken choices of bloggers (who are not necessarily pointing fingers). The same goes for breastfeeding, as far as I am concerned.

If I were to boldly and loudly state that I exclusively breastfed both of my children for nine and ten months, respectively, and that is was an incredibly emotional and bonding experience for both of us and that I will cherish the memory of those moments for the rest of my life, what, exactly in that statement is offensive?

I have said nothing about a bottle, about right or wrong. I have said nothing about anyone besides myself. And yet, there are people who take that as an attack on their own choices. Who think that what I really mean is that bottle fed children are miserable! And sad! And are going to grow extra toes! And it’s All! Your! Fault! Because you’re selfish!

But it isn’t, because nothing is that simple. Nothing is that simple.

Nothing. Is. That. Simple.

Nothing.

It’s tiresome, these battles we wage against each other. One more cause, one more advocate. One more battle.

3 Comments on “Nothing is that Simple”

You forget that you are more objective than most. You position your ideas/choices as your ideas/choices. You speak about yourself and it is never offensive. But when people (not you) start saying, “I did this and it was easy. Anyone could/should do it!” That’s when people get offended. Because how dare someone say that what was easy for you would also be easy for me, you know? The reason I love your blog is because you inpsire people by letting them see the world through your experiences instead of lecturing them on what they should/shouldn’t do. Not everyone is so eleoquent.